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2023-12-31-accounts

2023

St Jude’s United Church Englefield Green

Registered Charity Number 1169401

Vicar

The Revd Canon Judith Allford

Methodist Minister The Revd Andrew Reed

Hon. Reader Roy Gouriet

Churchwardens Claudia Tubb Mike Brooking

Hon. Treasurer, PCC Brian Hooker

Hon. Secretary, PCC Marion Paige

Organist and Choirmaster Professor Geoffrey Chew

Lay Vice Chair Andrew Sheer

Annual Report for 2023

Background

St Jude’s Church Council has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Revd Canon Judith Allford, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church of St Jude’s, St Jude’s Road, Englefield Green and for the Church Hall in Bond Street, Englefield Green.

Membership

Members of the Council are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

During the year, the following served as members of the Church Council: Incumbent : The Revd Canon Judith Allford Methodist Minister: The Revd Andrew Reed Reader : Roy Gouriet Verger : vacancy Churchwardens : Mike Brooking Claudia Tubb Representatives on the Jackie Kjos (elected 2023 for three years) Deanery Synod : Marion Paige (elected 2023 for three years) Members : Geoff Chew (elected 2022 for three years) Jenny Chew (elected 2021 for three years) Susie Harben (elected 2022 for three years) Brian Hooker (elected 2022 for three years) Aidan Hopkins (elected 2022 for three years) Elizabeth Hopkins (elected 2021 for three years) Renuka Humphrys (elected 2022 for three years) Andrew Sheer (elected 2021 for three years) Dave Walker* (elected 2021 for three years)

Church Council sub-committees and terms of reference are as follows:

Standing Committee

Regular meetings to plan agenda for Council meetings. Authorised to make decisions, exclusive of Council, as and when necessary.

Worship, Outreach and Social Committee

Regular meetings to consider aspects of mission, both spiritual and practical, within Church and in the wider community. Reports back to Council. Organises Lent groups, etc. Partial ecumenical aspect. Liturgical and music matters and planning for social events.

Finance and Stewardship Committee

Meetings ad hoc to discuss Council proposals and explore stewardship issues.

Fabric Committee/Health and Safety Committee

Meetings generally informal to discuss matters as they arise including issues related to Covid-19.

Village Centre Management Committee

meeting regularly to oversee the work of the Village Centre.

Address for correspondence:

The Vicarage, 21 Willow Walk, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0DQ

Address of Church:

St Jude’s Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0BZ

Email:

enquiries@stjudeschurch.info

Websites:

www.stjudeschurch.info and www.villagecentre.org.uk

ANNUAL REPORT – REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2023

Worship

Numbers of worshippers rose slightly over the course of the year, but we were saddened that very few of our younger worshippers continued to attend. We maintained our established pattern of worship throughout the year: 8.00am Sunday Holy Communion (said). On the first Sunday of each month we used the Book of Common Prayer service.

9.30am Sunday Sung Eucharist (live-streamed on our YouTube channel). On the first Sunday in the month this service remained more informal, taken from the Methodist liturgy, and led by the Revd Andrew Reed. On the fifth Sunday in each month our aim was to offer a non-eucharistic service, but this was inconsistent since some fifth Sundays coincided with a significant festival of the Church.

4.00pm Sunday Fourth Sunday at Four: a non-Eucharistic worship service with hymns.

6.00pm Sunday Compline via Zoom on the second Sunday in each month.

10.00am Wednesday A midweek service of Holy Communion (said) with a short sermon.

At the beginning of the year we welcomed Mandie Shirnia, from the parish of St John’s Egham, to spend three months with us on placement as she completed her training for ordination. Mandie contributed to our worship with preaching and leading intercessions, as well as spending time with individual church members. We were lessed by her ministry.

We celebrated the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla within our informal Holy Communion se3rvice on 7[th] May. Later in the year we hosted two Village Memorial Services. The summer service took place in July and was sponsored by F. Harrison and Son, Funeral Directors. The Christmas Service of Remembrance was sponsored for the third year running by Lodge Brothers of Englefield Green. The church was full on both occasions and similarly full in November for the Armistice Day Parade Service. Our speaker this year was Mr John Scott MBE. As always, our Christmas Crib service, led by Mrs Claudia Tubb, saw St Jude’s full to overflowing!

Early in the year Guildford Diocese launched a new “Parish Needs Process”. Most members of our ECC attended a strategy meeting on Saturday 4[th] February. This was led by the Diocesan Mission Enabler Team and included a presentation on three priorities for mission at the heart of the Diocesan Programme for growth: Transforming Church, Transforming Lives. The three are: Growing Disciples, Growing Community, Growing Diversity. Through the

year we were asked to put together a Chrch Development Plan which reflected these priorities. We were assisted by the Revd Jens Mankel, one of the Mission Enablers for revitalisation. Our CDP was signed off by the Archdeacon of Dorking, the Ven Martin Breadmore, when he made his five-yearly visit to meet with the Vicar and Wardens in September. Achieving the aims of the plan remains a significant challenge and one we need urgently to address. We remain grateful to our team of worship leaders, including our Methodist Associate Minister, the Revd Andrew Reed, our Licensed Lay Minister, Mr Roy Gouriet and our occasional preacher, Mrs Diana Bendall, for their continued contribution to our worship. On the first Sunday of each month, we enjoyed the ministry at our 8am service of the Revd Dr Orion Edgar, Anglican Chaplain to Royal Holloway, University of London. In December Orion moved on to take up an appointment in the parish of Christchurch, Roath Park, Cardiff. During the year we continued to welcome the occasional ministry of the Revd Janet Franck.

We remain indebted to our regular teams of Readers and Intercessors. During the year Mrs Cassandra Gouriet stepped down from co-ordinating this rota after many years. We are grateful to Cassandra and to Diana who has now taken on this vital task. Special thanks are due to our organist, Geoff Chew, and to our choir for leading our music in worship. Also, to our wonderful church cleaning team, flower arrangers, members of our live-streaming rota plus all who provide refreshments to follow our worship. Your hidden acts of service do not of unnoticed. Thank you all.

Occasional services

During the year there were 12 baptisms (18 in 2022), 3 weddings (1), 22 funerals in church (20), 7 Funerals conducted by our Vicar in local crematoria (14), 2 Graveside Funerals conducted by our Vicar (1) and 3 Interment of Cremated Remains (3).

Church Council meetings in 2023

The Church Council met on Wednesday 18[th] January, Thursday 9[th] March, Monday 17[th] April, Tuesday 6[th] June, Tuesday 25[th] July, Thursday 14[th] September, and Tuesday 7[th] November. The APCM was held on Sunday 14[h] May. We are grateful to our Churchwardens, Church Officers, Council members and Committee Chairs for another year of generous service.

Electoral Roll

Our Electoral Roll stands at 86, an increase of 1 on 2022.

Safeguarding

No safeguarding issues were confirmed. One concern was reported to the Diocesan Safeguarding Lead but was deemed after discussion not to have been a safeguarding incident. We remain grateful to Mrs Diana Bendall for continuing to serve as our Parish Safeguarding Lead and for enabling us to reach Level 2 on the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard As a United Church we remain committed to ensuring that Safeguarding remains a priority within the life of St Jude’s and our Village Centre.

Concert Series

2023 saw a programme of 9 concerts and we are grateful to Professor Geoff Chew for arranging an attractive programme for us once again.

The concerts took place as follows: 4[th] February Community Concert, 18[th] March Royal Holloway students, 29[th] April Royal Holloway students, 13[th] May James Kirby’s students from Royal Holloway, 3[rd] June River City Saxes, 8[th] July James Webb (piano), 2[nd] September Music and Words (Valerie Fry, reciter/Dimitri Kennaway, piano), 28[nd] October James Kirby (piano), 25[th] November Geoff Chew (piano).

Social Events

Coffee Mornings were held on 4[th] March (proceeds to DEC earthquake appeal), 29[th] April, and 26[th] August. Coronation Tea Party at the Vicarage, Saturday 6[th] May. Indoor Summer Fair/Coffee Morning 15[th] July, St Jude’s Stall at Village Fair 24[th] June, Harvest Lunch 7[th] October in church, Christmas Market 11[th] November and Mince Pie and Lebkuchen Tea 9[th] December. Our grateful thanks to all who co-ordinated and contributed to these events.

Fabric

Following much discussion during the previous year, 2023 was a year of considerable achievement. Extensive repair work was carried out to the south and east of the tower stonework, a new noticeboard was fitted, the audio-visual equipment installation was completed, the toilet block was refurbished, the south nave windows were re-covered in

new polycarbonate sheets, and the clock face was removed for complete renovation. We are very grateful to the churchwardens for all their work on these projects.

Monsell Room Lettings

Our thanks to Andrew Sheer for continuing to co-ordinate and administer all bookings. The users of the Monsell Room were Alcoholics Anonymous, Angeli’s Art Classes, Englefield Green Councillors’ Surgery, Englefield Green Village Residents Association, National Childbirth Trust, Royal Holloway Music Department, Royal Holloway Women’s Club, and Sue Lowe’s cello classes. In addition there were a few “one-off” hirings.

Mission and Outreach

Village Centre: Please see separate report.

Donations to the Runnymede Food Bank

Total cash donations: £686. This, plus donations in kind, enabled a total donation by weight of 819kg (in both cases an appreciable increase over 2022). Thank you to Geoff Chew for continuing to manage and pass on our donations.

Donations to other appeals

We were pleased to be able to send donations to the Syria/Turkey earthquake appeal, Water Aid, the Royal British Legion and The Children’s Society.

Giving in kind

We continued to contribute to Revive and Thrive, a Charity based at a Baptist Church in Mytchett who send knitted items and reconditioned tools to countries across the world, including Africa and Eastern Europe. A fair proportion of what we were able to give in 2023 once again came via our links with Lynwood Village in Sunningdale. We remain grateful to Di and Alan Fone and to Pat and Brian Summers for overseeing this.

The Ship Newsletter

Brian Hooker continued to circulate the monthly Ship electronically, via Mailchimp, approximately 200 in total. A few printed copies were made available in church for those unable to read the newsletter online. The Ship was also accessible on our website and Facebook page.

Digital Outreach

We continued to use Facebook, our website, and Zoom as a means of reaching our community and providing additional opportunities for worship. Please refer to the Worship part of our report for details of our Zoom service of Compline.

Our Church Schools

At the beginning of 2023 the St Jude’s CofE Infant School and the Junior School went through the process of Federation. The two Governing bodies became one and the process of embedding the schools’ vision (“Inspired by St Jude, we pursue Excellence in Education, Kindness in Community and Courage through Faith”) and the schools’ values (Forgiveness, Responsibility, Compassion and Hope) across the two schools has continued. Our Vicar and the Revd Jeremy Brown (Family and Children’s Minister at Christchurch, Virginia Water) continued to lead regular assemblies on each school site. In July, for the first time, Year 2 from the Infant School held their Leavers’ Service in St Jude’s. The School Harvest and Christmas Services in church were, for the first time, attended by both schools.

From the Vicar

Once again, we owe everything to the grace of God at work among us. It is exciting to see tiny green shoots of growth in our numbers. I am especially thrilled that we have been able to maintain our online worship and to welcome those who would otherwise be prevented by illness or frailty from worshipping with us. I humbly pray with you for fresh encouragements in 2024.

Village Centre Annual Report for 2023

January 2023 saw the New Year reopening of the Village Centre with our regular activities and Outreach Programmes all set to get under way for another year. The Café closed for a day in January whilst outside security lights were repaired and light bulbs within the café were replaced with LEDs.

There was special news for the Centre during February when our Centre Manager, Ali Watts, married her fiancé, James, and became Mrs Ali Griffin. Belatedly, we would like to record our joy and congratulations to them both!

During the Easter Holidays the Centre was opened from 10am to 2pm. Special Easter activities were on offer. On Monday 3[rd] April we held an Easter Arts and Crafts session with free admission, which proved highly popular. We also ran a Children’s Cooking Class for children aged 7-11 years. The class was fully booked, and the children enjoyed cooking, eating, and learning about Jamaican dishes including a delicious coconut cake! Both Adult and Children’s Cooking classes continued throughout the year and remained very popular. We were very grateful to Huda, Project Manager of our Community Fridge, for continuing to lead these classes.

Following the accession to the throne of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, we were able to hold our won Coronation celebration on 12[th] May. We received funding from the local authority which enabled us to make this event free to everyone who attended. We ran two bounce and play sessions, at 3.30pm and 4.30pm and these were followed by a dinner of hotdogs and cake! The Hall hosted a bouncy castle and giant games such as Connect 4, Jenga and Lego. Approximately 20 children attended each event.

During May we said “Thank you and Farewell” to our IT wizard, Paul Doherty. Paul had supported the work of the Village Centre for several years as a volunteer by running a regular computer “Drop In” session each Wednesday. Many users of the Village Centre had benefited from Paul’s wisdom and expertise in guiding them through some of the complexities of the world of technology, troubleshooting a variety of personal devices and even setting up new items of equipment. Paul was moving away from Englefield Green and we wished him well – but his departure was a loss to us.

Early in the summer Andrew Reed reported a personal contact with a beneficiary of one of our outreach programmes. Baby Basics seeks to provide help for families who, for all sorts of reasons find it difficult to make provision when a baby is born. A mum needed help and was so grateful for the equipment she received that she spread the news to family and friends. During the year pupils from St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Englefield Green presented us with the collection they had made pf 6 boxes filled with newborn essentials.

Each of our Outreach programmes continued to thrive during the year. We especially promoted our “Buy it Forward” initiative. Our Café customers were invited to give an extra donation on top of their meal or drink and he additional money was used to help buy a meal or drink for someone who otherwise would otherwise be unable to pay. We were able to begin offering meal vouchers to those who attended our Runnymede Food Bank sessions and “Buy it Forward” has helped to support the cost of providing those meals. Our Child Contact Centre continued to provide support for estranged parents and their children. Our Community Fridge and Kitchen weathered challenges with the availability of food items for collection, and unwieldy queues at opening times! But despite those issues it continued to thrive and to give residents access to food that otherwise be wasted.

Throughout the year we continued to be grateful for the generosity of donors to the Centre, both regular gifts and one-off donations. In July Harrison’s funeral directors held a Village Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving. Donations from the service, which amounted to £325.00, were generously earmarked for the work of the Centre.

The Summer Holidays got off to a busy start especially as unsettled weather made the Café a warm inside venue for children. Most of our regular classes took a well-earned summer break. But we introduced a 3-week Children’s Summer Camp run by a qualified teacher which proved popular. The Mental Health Sports Charity, Sport in Mind, provided a free weekly Pilates class for those struggling with mental health issues.

During the summer our long-standing Duke of Edinburgh student finished her placement, and two new Silver students joined us. It was our volunteers and their diversity of age, social background, and skills who once again in 2003 supported many areas of the work of the Centre, and supported our Manager and staff team, cheerfully and tirelessly. Mark, our “odd job man”, has completed many jobs for us. Louise has provided regular administrative support for our Centre Manager.

During the summer the Centre’s new Fire Alarm system was installed. The system brought the Centre in line with current fire safety regulations. Centre Staff can be made instantly aware of the location of a fire. Smoke detectors were remotely fitted to navigate our listed building status. The system was linked to mobile phones, so control can be managed remotely if needed.

In the autumn we welcomed GLOWFIT classes on Monday evenings. GLOWFIT is a dance class with participants holding on to their glow sticks and dancing to well-known tunes. The aim is to have fun! Our Film Club was in full swing on occasional Friday evenings.

In November students from Royal Holloway once again organised a Tea Party for our older Village residents. This was greatly appreciated as always and, not least, because transport is provided for those who are unable to make their own way to the Centre. The St Jude’s Christmas Market also took place in November. Attendance at this traditional event was boosted by those who came to see the Children’s Fair happening in the Hall. Early in December, as in previous years, Ali, our Manager, visited Enterprise in Egham to collect the children’s Christmas parcels which were prepared for us by the staff there. Ali went on to visit the Foodbank in Egham where she collected some generously donated food parcels. We were grateful to both Enterprise and the Foodbank for this very welcome Christmas cheer.

The work of the Village Centre continued throughout the year to be overseen by our Village Centre Management Committee (VCMC) jointly chaired by our Methodist Minister, the Revd Andrew Reed and our Vicar, the Revd Canon Judith Allford. During 2023 several members of the Committee stepped down. Two members, Jayne Pooley and Sharon Edgar, moved away from the area, and Roy Gouriet retired from the Committee, having served on it since the inception of the Centre.

Others stayed on, including Andrew Sheer who continued to serve as Treasurer, cashing up at the end of each day, banking week by week, managing our accounts and maintaining our relationship with the Charity Commissioners. Thanks to Andrew and to Roger and Jonathan Griffiths for their support with payroll and fabric issues. Our thanks to Siobhan Elliot for taking the lead in updating our social media.

Thanks to Diana Bendall for acting as Minutes Secretary and for continuing to act as Safeguarding Lead alongside Andrew Reed and Ali. No safeguarding issues were reported but safeguarding remained a standing issue on our VCMC Agenda, and our policy was reviewed and updated.

We owe a heartfelt thank you to Ali and the Staff Team – Sarmila, Debbie, Lily and Huda, for all their work in 2023. Special thanks to Ali for her tireless networking, fundraising, grant applications, and the consistently warm welcome she has provided to all users of the Centre. All our staff keep alive our vision to demonstrate God’s love for Englefield Green in as many practical ways as we can.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 GENERAL FUND Receipts and Payments Account

2023 2022
£ £ £ £
INCOME
Incoming resources from donors
Free will envelopes 5057 4997
Banker’s Orders 31365 29445
Give As You Earn 330 360
Cash in collections 4419 4119
SumUp receipts 3161 2487
Income tax recovered 13325 57657 10001 51409
Other income
Charitable Trusts 30 30
Fees from weddings, etc 5168 3532
Concerts 2080 1831
Church House rent 15450 15450
68 Victoria Street rent 6538 11040
Christmas Market 720 634
Coffee mornings, etc 665 358
Village Fair 402 376
Harvest lunch/cream tea 310 481
Hire of Monsell Room 5610 5277
Diocesan Energy support 1000 1000
Refund from Diocese (cremations) 403 558
Easyfundraising.co.uk 102 38478 109 40676
Income from investments
Bank interest 282 282 78 78
Total Receipts 96417 92163

PAYMENTS

2023 2022
£ £ £ £
For the Ministry
Vicar’s/Vicarage expenses
0 0
Assistant Clergy
0 0 0
Church and Services
Light, heat, water and telephone 4524 3816
Telephone and broadband
528 225
Repairs and replacements
3964 923
Musical instruments
260 857
Organist
0 0
Altar supplies and Baptism register 625 210
Newsletter cards
0 299
Service books and leaflets
780 780
Catering/hospitality
0 10681 0 7110
Other Parish Expenses
Insurance
3416 3362
Insurance 68 Victoria Street
298 282
Management fee Church House 2317 2317
Management fee 68 Victoria Street 0 1987
Repairs 68 Victoria Street
0 1328
Repairs Church House
1944 2865
Subscriptions
377 395
Covid purchases
0 16
Cleaning materials etc
191 0
Tablet/SumUp device
0 71
Performing rights licences
0 8543 36 12659
Outside the Parish
Parish Share (Diocesan Quota) 68618 66169
Methodist Circuit
7500 7500
DBS checks
0 0
Bank charges
60 76178 82 73751
TOTAL PAYMENTS 95402 93520

2023 2022

Excess payments over receipts 0 1357
Excess income over payments 1015 0
Bank current and deposit accounts at 1stJan 3548 4905
Bank current and deposit accounts at 31stDec 4563 3548
Charitable donations not included in these accounts Charitable donations not included in these accounts
Children’s Society £300
Turkey/Syria Earthquake £1000
Royal British Legion £175
WaterAid £310

Bankers

National Westminster Bank, 67 High Street, Staines, Surrey TW18 4PU

Santander, Bootle, Merseyside

CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ

Brian Hooker, Hon. Treasurer

BUILDING FUND Accounts for 2023

2023 2022
Receipts £ £
Legacy 2000 10021
Donations for organ 175 150
Audio/Visual equipment 2313 0
Clock Face appeal 7943 0
One off donations 6000 0
Total 18431 10171
Expenditure
AV equipment 2290 5344
Boilers replacement 0 20940
Stonework 10616 0
Noticeboard 2652 0
Deposit for clock face repair 2063 0
Lift tower for clock face 504 0
Total 18125 26284
Excess expenditure over income 0 16113
Excess income over expenditure 306 0
Bank current account as at 14862 30975
1stJanuary
Bank current account as at 15168 14862
31stDecember

CHURCH HALL ACCOUNT 2023

2023 2022
Receipts
£ £
Hall Lettings
6328 6672
Interest
43 4
6371 6676
Expenditure
Light, heat and water
3067 2421
Insurance
1708 1681
Cleaning
0 600
Telephone
371 564
Fire extinguishers
165 306
Repairs
600 5088
5911 10660
Excess expenditure over income 0 3984
Excess income over expenditure 460 0
Bank current account as at 21978 25962
1stJanuary
Bank current account as at 22438 21978
31stDecember

Bankers

Barclays Bank

Staines Group, 71 High Street, Staines, Middlesex TW18 4PS

Brian Hooker

Hon Treasurer

VILLAGE CENTRE ACCOUNT (1st Sept 2022-31st Aug 2023)

Receipts
2022/23 2021/22
£ £
Grants
10100 54649
Donations
15801 9328
Gift Aid
710 668
Payment for lane access
1350 0
Baby Basics
3942 0
Community Fridge
8042 840
Bookings
28248 24980
Café takings
45119 25596
Insurance claim 0 1726
Events 100 145
Interest 449 124
Other 15 0
Total 113876 118056
Expenditure
Building 5613 61670
AV and computer costs 675 639
Other equipment 1488 2132
Advertising 897 200
Insurance 1922 1801
Wages and salaries 58524 66940
Regular items 776 938
Heat, light, water, telephone 9210 8207
Food for café 12688 6363
Films and licences 469 157
Hospitality 451 0
Events 612 0
Baby Basics 740 311
Community Fridge 7762 6001
Bank charges 561 433
Other 38 205
Total 102426 155997
Excess income over expenditure 11450 0
Excess expenditure over income 0 37940
Bank current account as at 1stSeptember 2022 3390
Bank current account as at 31stAugust 2023 14750

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Church Council of St Jude’s United Church, Englefield Green

I report on the accounts of the JCC of St Jude’s United Church Englefield Green for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

The Council is responsible for the preparation of the accounts and considers that an audit is not required under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the 1993 Act);

follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act;

and state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of the Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Council concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

have not been met; or

Brian Summers

15 Englehurst

Englefield Green

Egham, Surrey

TW20 0EE

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

at 1[st] January 2023

General
Building
Church Totals
Fund Fund Hall
£
£
£
£
Monetary assets
NatWest and CAF 3547 14821 18368
Barclays 21978 21978
Alliance & Leicester 41
41
Total 3547 14862 21978 40387
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
at 31stDecember 2023
General
Building
Church Totals
Fund Fund Hall
£
£
£
£
Monetary assets
NatWest and CAF 4563 15126 19689
Barclays 22438 22438
Alliance & Leicester 41
41
Total 4563 15167 22438 42168

2023

St Jude’s United Church Englefield Green

Registered Charity Number 1169401

Vicar

The Revd Canon Judith Allford

Methodist Minister The Revd Andrew Reed

Hon. Reader Roy Gouriet

Churchwardens Claudia Tubb Mike Brooking

Hon. Treasurer, PCC Brian Hooker

Hon. Secretary, PCC Marion Paige

Organist and Choirmaster Professor Geoffrey Chew

Lay Vice Chair Andrew Sheer

Annual Report for 2023

Background

St Jude’s Church Council has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Revd Canon Judith Allford, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church of St Jude’s, St Jude’s Road, Englefield Green and for the Church Hall in Bond Street, Englefield Green.

Membership

Members of the Council are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

During the year, the following served as members of the Church Council: Incumbent : The Revd Canon Judith Allford Methodist Minister: The Revd Andrew Reed Reader : Roy Gouriet Verger : vacancy Churchwardens : Mike Brooking Claudia Tubb Representatives on the Jackie Kjos (elected 2023 for three years) Deanery Synod : Marion Paige (elected 2023 for three years) Members : Geoff Chew (elected 2022 for three years) Jenny Chew (elected 2021 for three years) Susie Harben (elected 2022 for three years) Brian Hooker (elected 2022 for three years) Aidan Hopkins (elected 2022 for three years) Elizabeth Hopkins (elected 2021 for three years) Renuka Humphrys (elected 2022 for three years) Andrew Sheer (elected 2021 for three years) Dave Walker* (elected 2021 for three years)

Church Council sub-committees and terms of reference are as follows:

Standing Committee

Regular meetings to plan agenda for Council meetings. Authorised to make decisions, exclusive of Council, as and when necessary.

Worship, Outreach and Social Committee

Regular meetings to consider aspects of mission, both spiritual and practical, within Church and in the wider community. Reports back to Council. Organises Lent groups, etc. Partial ecumenical aspect. Liturgical and music matters and planning for social events.

Finance and Stewardship Committee

Meetings ad hoc to discuss Council proposals and explore stewardship issues.

Fabric Committee/Health and Safety Committee

Meetings generally informal to discuss matters as they arise including issues related to Covid-19.

Village Centre Management Committee

meeting regularly to oversee the work of the Village Centre.

Address for correspondence:

The Vicarage, 21 Willow Walk, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0DQ

Address of Church:

St Jude’s Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0BZ

Email:

enquiries@stjudeschurch.info

Websites:

www.stjudeschurch.info and www.villagecentre.org.uk

ANNUAL REPORT – REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2023

Worship

Numbers of worshippers rose slightly over the course of the year, but we were saddened that very few of our younger worshippers continued to attend. We maintained our established pattern of worship throughout the year: 8.00am Sunday Holy Communion (said). On the first Sunday of each month we used the Book of Common Prayer service.

9.30am Sunday Sung Eucharist (live-streamed on our YouTube channel). On the first Sunday in the month this service remained more informal, taken from the Methodist liturgy, and led by the Revd Andrew Reed. On the fifth Sunday in each month our aim was to offer a non-eucharistic service, but this was inconsistent since some fifth Sundays coincided with a significant festival of the Church.

4.00pm Sunday Fourth Sunday at Four: a non-Eucharistic worship service with hymns.

6.00pm Sunday Compline via Zoom on the second Sunday in each month.

10.00am Wednesday A midweek service of Holy Communion (said) with a short sermon.

At the beginning of the year we welcomed Mandie Shirnia, from the parish of St John’s Egham, to spend three months with us on placement as she completed her training for ordination. Mandie contributed to our worship with preaching and leading intercessions, as well as spending time with individual church members. We were lessed by her ministry.

We celebrated the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla within our informal Holy Communion se3rvice on 7[th] May. Later in the year we hosted two Village Memorial Services. The summer service took place in July and was sponsored by F. Harrison and Son, Funeral Directors. The Christmas Service of Remembrance was sponsored for the third year running by Lodge Brothers of Englefield Green. The church was full on both occasions and similarly full in November for the Armistice Day Parade Service. Our speaker this year was Mr John Scott MBE. As always, our Christmas Crib service, led by Mrs Claudia Tubb, saw St Jude’s full to overflowing!

Early in the year Guildford Diocese launched a new “Parish Needs Process”. Most members of our ECC attended a strategy meeting on Saturday 4[th] February. This was led by the Diocesan Mission Enabler Team and included a presentation on three priorities for mission at the heart of the Diocesan Programme for growth: Transforming Church, Transforming Lives. The three are: Growing Disciples, Growing Community, Growing Diversity. Through the

year we were asked to put together a Chrch Development Plan which reflected these priorities. We were assisted by the Revd Jens Mankel, one of the Mission Enablers for revitalisation. Our CDP was signed off by the Archdeacon of Dorking, the Ven Martin Breadmore, when he made his five-yearly visit to meet with the Vicar and Wardens in September. Achieving the aims of the plan remains a significant challenge and one we need urgently to address. We remain grateful to our team of worship leaders, including our Methodist Associate Minister, the Revd Andrew Reed, our Licensed Lay Minister, Mr Roy Gouriet and our occasional preacher, Mrs Diana Bendall, for their continued contribution to our worship. On the first Sunday of each month, we enjoyed the ministry at our 8am service of the Revd Dr Orion Edgar, Anglican Chaplain to Royal Holloway, University of London. In December Orion moved on to take up an appointment in the parish of Christchurch, Roath Park, Cardiff. During the year we continued to welcome the occasional ministry of the Revd Janet Franck.

We remain indebted to our regular teams of Readers and Intercessors. During the year Mrs Cassandra Gouriet stepped down from co-ordinating this rota after many years. We are grateful to Cassandra and to Diana who has now taken on this vital task. Special thanks are due to our organist, Geoff Chew, and to our choir for leading our music in worship. Also, to our wonderful church cleaning team, flower arrangers, members of our live-streaming rota plus all who provide refreshments to follow our worship. Your hidden acts of service do not of unnoticed. Thank you all.

Occasional services

During the year there were 12 baptisms (18 in 2022), 3 weddings (1), 22 funerals in church (20), 7 Funerals conducted by our Vicar in local crematoria (14), 2 Graveside Funerals conducted by our Vicar (1) and 3 Interment of Cremated Remains (3).

Church Council meetings in 2023

The Church Council met on Wednesday 18[th] January, Thursday 9[th] March, Monday 17[th] April, Tuesday 6[th] June, Tuesday 25[th] July, Thursday 14[th] September, and Tuesday 7[th] November. The APCM was held on Sunday 14[h] May. We are grateful to our Churchwardens, Church Officers, Council members and Committee Chairs for another year of generous service.

Electoral Roll

Our Electoral Roll stands at 86, an increase of 1 on 2022.

Safeguarding

No safeguarding issues were confirmed. One concern was reported to the Diocesan Safeguarding Lead but was deemed after discussion not to have been a safeguarding incident. We remain grateful to Mrs Diana Bendall for continuing to serve as our Parish Safeguarding Lead and for enabling us to reach Level 2 on the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard As a United Church we remain committed to ensuring that Safeguarding remains a priority within the life of St Jude’s and our Village Centre.

Concert Series

2023 saw a programme of 9 concerts and we are grateful to Professor Geoff Chew for arranging an attractive programme for us once again.

The concerts took place as follows: 4[th] February Community Concert, 18[th] March Royal Holloway students, 29[th] April Royal Holloway students, 13[th] May James Kirby’s students from Royal Holloway, 3[rd] June River City Saxes, 8[th] July James Webb (piano), 2[nd] September Music and Words (Valerie Fry, reciter/Dimitri Kennaway, piano), 28[nd] October James Kirby (piano), 25[th] November Geoff Chew (piano).

Social Events

Coffee Mornings were held on 4[th] March (proceeds to DEC earthquake appeal), 29[th] April, and 26[th] August. Coronation Tea Party at the Vicarage, Saturday 6[th] May. Indoor Summer Fair/Coffee Morning 15[th] July, St Jude’s Stall at Village Fair 24[th] June, Harvest Lunch 7[th] October in church, Christmas Market 11[th] November and Mince Pie and Lebkuchen Tea 9[th] December. Our grateful thanks to all who co-ordinated and contributed to these events.

Fabric

Following much discussion during the previous year, 2023 was a year of considerable achievement. Extensive repair work was carried out to the south and east of the tower stonework, a new noticeboard was fitted, the audio-visual equipment installation was completed, the toilet block was refurbished, the south nave windows were re-covered in

new polycarbonate sheets, and the clock face was removed for complete renovation. We are very grateful to the churchwardens for all their work on these projects.

Monsell Room Lettings

Our thanks to Andrew Sheer for continuing to co-ordinate and administer all bookings. The users of the Monsell Room were Alcoholics Anonymous, Angeli’s Art Classes, Englefield Green Councillors’ Surgery, Englefield Green Village Residents Association, National Childbirth Trust, Royal Holloway Music Department, Royal Holloway Women’s Club, and Sue Lowe’s cello classes. In addition there were a few “one-off” hirings.

Mission and Outreach

Village Centre: Please see separate report.

Donations to the Runnymede Food Bank

Total cash donations: £686. This, plus donations in kind, enabled a total donation by weight of 819kg (in both cases an appreciable increase over 2022). Thank you to Geoff Chew for continuing to manage and pass on our donations.

Donations to other appeals

We were pleased to be able to send donations to the Syria/Turkey earthquake appeal, Water Aid, the Royal British Legion and The Children’s Society.

Giving in kind

We continued to contribute to Revive and Thrive, a Charity based at a Baptist Church in Mytchett who send knitted items and reconditioned tools to countries across the world, including Africa and Eastern Europe. A fair proportion of what we were able to give in 2023 once again came via our links with Lynwood Village in Sunningdale. We remain grateful to Di and Alan Fone and to Pat and Brian Summers for overseeing this.

The Ship Newsletter

Brian Hooker continued to circulate the monthly Ship electronically, via Mailchimp, approximately 200 in total. A few printed copies were made available in church for those unable to read the newsletter online. The Ship was also accessible on our website and Facebook page.

Digital Outreach

We continued to use Facebook, our website, and Zoom as a means of reaching our community and providing additional opportunities for worship. Please refer to the Worship part of our report for details of our Zoom service of Compline.

Our Church Schools

At the beginning of 2023 the St Jude’s CofE Infant School and the Junior School went through the process of Federation. The two Governing bodies became one and the process of embedding the schools’ vision (“Inspired by St Jude, we pursue Excellence in Education, Kindness in Community and Courage through Faith”) and the schools’ values (Forgiveness, Responsibility, Compassion and Hope) across the two schools has continued. Our Vicar and the Revd Jeremy Brown (Family and Children’s Minister at Christchurch, Virginia Water) continued to lead regular assemblies on each school site. In July, for the first time, Year 2 from the Infant School held their Leavers’ Service in St Jude’s. The School Harvest and Christmas Services in church were, for the first time, attended by both schools.

From the Vicar

Once again, we owe everything to the grace of God at work among us. It is exciting to see tiny green shoots of growth in our numbers. I am especially thrilled that we have been able to maintain our online worship and to welcome those who would otherwise be prevented by illness or frailty from worshipping with us. I humbly pray with you for fresh encouragements in 2024.

Village Centre Annual Report for 2023

January 2023 saw the New Year reopening of the Village Centre with our regular activities and Outreach Programmes all set to get under way for another year. The Café closed for a day in January whilst outside security lights were repaired and light bulbs within the café were replaced with LEDs.

There was special news for the Centre during February when our Centre Manager, Ali Watts, married her fiancé, James, and became Mrs Ali Griffin. Belatedly, we would like to record our joy and congratulations to them both!

During the Easter Holidays the Centre was opened from 10am to 2pm. Special Easter activities were on offer. On Monday 3[rd] April we held an Easter Arts and Crafts session with free admission, which proved highly popular. We also ran a Children’s Cooking Class for children aged 7-11 years. The class was fully booked, and the children enjoyed cooking, eating, and learning about Jamaican dishes including a delicious coconut cake! Both Adult and Children’s Cooking classes continued throughout the year and remained very popular. We were very grateful to Huda, Project Manager of our Community Fridge, for continuing to lead these classes.

Following the accession to the throne of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, we were able to hold our won Coronation celebration on 12[th] May. We received funding from the local authority which enabled us to make this event free to everyone who attended. We ran two bounce and play sessions, at 3.30pm and 4.30pm and these were followed by a dinner of hotdogs and cake! The Hall hosted a bouncy castle and giant games such as Connect 4, Jenga and Lego. Approximately 20 children attended each event.

During May we said “Thank you and Farewell” to our IT wizard, Paul Doherty. Paul had supported the work of the Village Centre for several years as a volunteer by running a regular computer “Drop In” session each Wednesday. Many users of the Village Centre had benefited from Paul’s wisdom and expertise in guiding them through some of the complexities of the world of technology, troubleshooting a variety of personal devices and even setting up new items of equipment. Paul was moving away from Englefield Green and we wished him well – but his departure was a loss to us.

Early in the summer Andrew Reed reported a personal contact with a beneficiary of one of our outreach programmes. Baby Basics seeks to provide help for families who, for all sorts of reasons find it difficult to make provision when a baby is born. A mum needed help and was so grateful for the equipment she received that she spread the news to family and friends. During the year pupils from St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Englefield Green presented us with the collection they had made pf 6 boxes filled with newborn essentials.

Each of our Outreach programmes continued to thrive during the year. We especially promoted our “Buy it Forward” initiative. Our Café customers were invited to give an extra donation on top of their meal or drink and he additional money was used to help buy a meal or drink for someone who otherwise would otherwise be unable to pay. We were able to begin offering meal vouchers to those who attended our Runnymede Food Bank sessions and “Buy it Forward” has helped to support the cost of providing those meals. Our Child Contact Centre continued to provide support for estranged parents and their children. Our Community Fridge and Kitchen weathered challenges with the availability of food items for collection, and unwieldy queues at opening times! But despite those issues it continued to thrive and to give residents access to food that otherwise be wasted.

Throughout the year we continued to be grateful for the generosity of donors to the Centre, both regular gifts and one-off donations. In July Harrison’s funeral directors held a Village Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving. Donations from the service, which amounted to £325.00, were generously earmarked for the work of the Centre.

The Summer Holidays got off to a busy start especially as unsettled weather made the Café a warm inside venue for children. Most of our regular classes took a well-earned summer break. But we introduced a 3-week Children’s Summer Camp run by a qualified teacher which proved popular. The Mental Health Sports Charity, Sport in Mind, provided a free weekly Pilates class for those struggling with mental health issues.

During the summer our long-standing Duke of Edinburgh student finished her placement, and two new Silver students joined us. It was our volunteers and their diversity of age, social background, and skills who once again in 2003 supported many areas of the work of the Centre, and supported our Manager and staff team, cheerfully and tirelessly. Mark, our “odd job man”, has completed many jobs for us. Louise has provided regular administrative support for our Centre Manager.

During the summer the Centre’s new Fire Alarm system was installed. The system brought the Centre in line with current fire safety regulations. Centre Staff can be made instantly aware of the location of a fire. Smoke detectors were remotely fitted to navigate our listed building status. The system was linked to mobile phones, so control can be managed remotely if needed.

In the autumn we welcomed GLOWFIT classes on Monday evenings. GLOWFIT is a dance class with participants holding on to their glow sticks and dancing to well-known tunes. The aim is to have fun! Our Film Club was in full swing on occasional Friday evenings.

In November students from Royal Holloway once again organised a Tea Party for our older Village residents. This was greatly appreciated as always and, not least, because transport is provided for those who are unable to make their own way to the Centre. The St Jude’s Christmas Market also took place in November. Attendance at this traditional event was boosted by those who came to see the Children’s Fair happening in the Hall. Early in December, as in previous years, Ali, our Manager, visited Enterprise in Egham to collect the children’s Christmas parcels which were prepared for us by the staff there. Ali went on to visit the Foodbank in Egham where she collected some generously donated food parcels. We were grateful to both Enterprise and the Foodbank for this very welcome Christmas cheer.

The work of the Village Centre continued throughout the year to be overseen by our Village Centre Management Committee (VCMC) jointly chaired by our Methodist Minister, the Revd Andrew Reed and our Vicar, the Revd Canon Judith Allford. During 2023 several members of the Committee stepped down. Two members, Jayne Pooley and Sharon Edgar, moved away from the area, and Roy Gouriet retired from the Committee, having served on it since the inception of the Centre.

Others stayed on, including Andrew Sheer who continued to serve as Treasurer, cashing up at the end of each day, banking week by week, managing our accounts and maintaining our relationship with the Charity Commissioners. Thanks to Andrew and to Roger and Jonathan Griffiths for their support with payroll and fabric issues. Our thanks to Siobhan Elliot for taking the lead in updating our social media.

Thanks to Diana Bendall for acting as Minutes Secretary and for continuing to act as Safeguarding Lead alongside Andrew Reed and Ali. No safeguarding issues were reported but safeguarding remained a standing issue on our VCMC Agenda, and our policy was reviewed and updated.

We owe a heartfelt thank you to Ali and the Staff Team – Sarmila, Debbie, Lily and Huda, for all their work in 2023. Special thanks to Ali for her tireless networking, fundraising, grant applications, and the consistently warm welcome she has provided to all users of the Centre. All our staff keep alive our vision to demonstrate God’s love for Englefield Green in as many practical ways as we can.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 GENERAL FUND Receipts and Payments Account

2023 2022
£ £ £ £
INCOME
Incoming resources from donors
Free will envelopes 5057 4997
Banker’s Orders 31365 29445
Give As You Earn 330 360
Cash in collections 4419 4119
SumUp receipts 3161 2487
Income tax recovered 13325 57657 10001 51409
Other income
Charitable Trusts 30 30
Fees from weddings, etc 5168 3532
Concerts 2080 1831
Church House rent 15450 15450
68 Victoria Street rent 6538 11040
Christmas Market 720 634
Coffee mornings, etc 665 358
Village Fair 402 376
Harvest lunch/cream tea 310 481
Hire of Monsell Room 5610 5277
Diocesan Energy support 1000 1000
Refund from Diocese (cremations) 403 558
Easyfundraising.co.uk 102 38478 109 40676
Income from investments
Bank interest 282 282 78 78
Total Receipts 96417 92163

PAYMENTS

2023 2022
£ £ £ £
For the Ministry
Vicar’s/Vicarage expenses
0 0
Assistant Clergy
0 0 0
Church and Services
Light, heat, water and telephone 4524 3816
Telephone and broadband
528 225
Repairs and replacements
3964 923
Musical instruments
260 857
Organist
0 0
Altar supplies and Baptism register 625 210
Newsletter cards
0 299
Service books and leaflets
780 780
Catering/hospitality
0 10681 0 7110
Other Parish Expenses
Insurance
3416 3362
Insurance 68 Victoria Street
298 282
Management fee Church House 2317 2317
Management fee 68 Victoria Street 0 1987
Repairs 68 Victoria Street
0 1328
Repairs Church House
1944 2865
Subscriptions
377 395
Covid purchases
0 16
Cleaning materials etc
191 0
Tablet/SumUp device
0 71
Performing rights licences
0 8543 36 12659
Outside the Parish
Parish Share (Diocesan Quota) 68618 66169
Methodist Circuit
7500 7500
DBS checks
0 0
Bank charges
60 76178 82 73751
TOTAL PAYMENTS 95402 93520

2023 2022

Excess payments over receipts 0 1357
Excess income over payments 1015 0
Bank current and deposit accounts at 1stJan 3548 4905
Bank current and deposit accounts at 31stDec 4563 3548
Charitable donations not included in these accounts Charitable donations not included in these accounts
Children’s Society £300
Turkey/Syria Earthquake £1000
Royal British Legion £175
WaterAid £310

Bankers

National Westminster Bank, 67 High Street, Staines, Surrey TW18 4PU

Santander, Bootle, Merseyside

CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ

Brian Hooker, Hon. Treasurer

BUILDING FUND Accounts for 2023

2023 2022
Receipts £ £
Legacy 2000 10021
Donations for organ 175 150
Audio/Visual equipment 2313 0
Clock Face appeal 7943 0
One off donations 6000 0
Total 18431 10171
Expenditure
AV equipment 2290 5344
Boilers replacement 0 20940
Stonework 10616 0
Noticeboard 2652 0
Deposit for clock face repair 2063 0
Lift tower for clock face 504 0
Total 18125 26284
Excess expenditure over income 0 16113
Excess income over expenditure 306 0
Bank current account as at 14862 30975
1stJanuary
Bank current account as at 15168 14862
31stDecember

CHURCH HALL ACCOUNT 2023

2023 2022
Receipts
£ £
Hall Lettings
6328 6672
Interest
43 4
6371 6676
Expenditure
Light, heat and water
3067 2421
Insurance
1708 1681
Cleaning
0 600
Telephone
371 564
Fire extinguishers
165 306
Repairs
600 5088
5911 10660
Excess expenditure over income 0 3984
Excess income over expenditure 460 0
Bank current account as at 21978 25962
1stJanuary
Bank current account as at 22438 21978
31stDecember

Bankers

Barclays Bank

Staines Group, 71 High Street, Staines, Middlesex TW18 4PS

Brian Hooker

Hon Treasurer

VILLAGE CENTRE ACCOUNT (1st Sept 2022-31st Aug 2023)

Receipts
2022/23 2021/22
£ £
Grants
10100 54649
Donations
15801 9328
Gift Aid
710 668
Payment for lane access
1350 0
Baby Basics
3942 0
Community Fridge
8042 840
Bookings
28248 24980
Café takings
45119 25596
Insurance claim 0 1726
Events 100 145
Interest 449 124
Other 15 0
Total 113876 118056
Expenditure
Building 5613 61670
AV and computer costs 675 639
Other equipment 1488 2132
Advertising 897 200
Insurance 1922 1801
Wages and salaries 58524 66940
Regular items 776 938
Heat, light, water, telephone 9210 8207
Food for café 12688 6363
Films and licences 469 157
Hospitality 451 0
Events 612 0
Baby Basics 740 311
Community Fridge 7762 6001
Bank charges 561 433
Other 38 205
Total 102426 155997
Excess income over expenditure 11450 0
Excess expenditure over income 0 37940
Bank current account as at 1stSeptember 2022 3390
Bank current account as at 31stAugust 2023 14750

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Church Council of St Jude’s United Church, Englefield Green

I report on the accounts of the JCC of St Jude’s United Church Englefield Green for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

The Council is responsible for the preparation of the accounts and considers that an audit is not required under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the 1993 Act);

follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act;

and state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of the Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Council concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

have not been met; or

Brian Summers

15 Englehurst

Englefield Green

Egham, Surrey

TW20 0EE

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

at 1[st] January 2023

General
Building
Church Totals
Fund Fund Hall
£
£
£
£
Monetary assets
NatWest and CAF 3547 14821 18368
Barclays 21978 21978
Alliance & Leicester 41
41
Total 3547 14862 21978 40387
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
at 31stDecember 2023
General
Building
Church Totals
Fund Fund Hall
£
£
£
£
Monetary assets
NatWest and CAF 4563 15126 19689
Barclays 22438 22438
Alliance & Leicester 41
41
Total 4563 15167 22438 42168

2023

St Jude’s United Church Englefield Green

Registered Charity Number 1169401

Vicar

The Revd Canon Judith Allford

Methodist Minister The Revd Andrew Reed

Hon. Reader Roy Gouriet

Churchwardens Claudia Tubb Mike Brooking

Hon. Treasurer, PCC Brian Hooker

Hon. Secretary, PCC Marion Paige

Organist and Choirmaster Professor Geoffrey Chew

Lay Vice Chair Andrew Sheer

Annual Report for 2023

Background

St Jude’s Church Council has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Revd Canon Judith Allford, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church of St Jude’s, St Jude’s Road, Englefield Green and for the Church Hall in Bond Street, Englefield Green.

Membership

Members of the Council are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

During the year, the following served as members of the Church Council: Incumbent : The Revd Canon Judith Allford Methodist Minister: The Revd Andrew Reed Reader : Roy Gouriet Verger : vacancy Churchwardens : Mike Brooking Claudia Tubb Representatives on the Jackie Kjos (elected 2023 for three years) Deanery Synod : Marion Paige (elected 2023 for three years) Members : Geoff Chew (elected 2022 for three years) Jenny Chew (elected 2021 for three years) Susie Harben (elected 2022 for three years) Brian Hooker (elected 2022 for three years) Aidan Hopkins (elected 2022 for three years) Elizabeth Hopkins (elected 2021 for three years) Renuka Humphrys (elected 2022 for three years) Andrew Sheer (elected 2021 for three years) Dave Walker* (elected 2021 for three years)

Church Council sub-committees and terms of reference are as follows:

Standing Committee

Regular meetings to plan agenda for Council meetings. Authorised to make decisions, exclusive of Council, as and when necessary.

Worship, Outreach and Social Committee

Regular meetings to consider aspects of mission, both spiritual and practical, within Church and in the wider community. Reports back to Council. Organises Lent groups, etc. Partial ecumenical aspect. Liturgical and music matters and planning for social events.

Finance and Stewardship Committee

Meetings ad hoc to discuss Council proposals and explore stewardship issues.

Fabric Committee/Health and Safety Committee

Meetings generally informal to discuss matters as they arise including issues related to Covid-19.

Village Centre Management Committee

meeting regularly to oversee the work of the Village Centre.

Address for correspondence:

The Vicarage, 21 Willow Walk, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0DQ

Address of Church:

St Jude’s Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0BZ

Email:

enquiries@stjudeschurch.info

Websites:

www.stjudeschurch.info and www.villagecentre.org.uk

ANNUAL REPORT – REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2023

Worship

Numbers of worshippers rose slightly over the course of the year, but we were saddened that very few of our younger worshippers continued to attend. We maintained our established pattern of worship throughout the year: 8.00am Sunday Holy Communion (said). On the first Sunday of each month we used the Book of Common Prayer service.

9.30am Sunday Sung Eucharist (live-streamed on our YouTube channel). On the first Sunday in the month this service remained more informal, taken from the Methodist liturgy, and led by the Revd Andrew Reed. On the fifth Sunday in each month our aim was to offer a non-eucharistic service, but this was inconsistent since some fifth Sundays coincided with a significant festival of the Church.

4.00pm Sunday Fourth Sunday at Four: a non-Eucharistic worship service with hymns.

6.00pm Sunday Compline via Zoom on the second Sunday in each month.

10.00am Wednesday A midweek service of Holy Communion (said) with a short sermon.

At the beginning of the year we welcomed Mandie Shirnia, from the parish of St John’s Egham, to spend three months with us on placement as she completed her training for ordination. Mandie contributed to our worship with preaching and leading intercessions, as well as spending time with individual church members. We were lessed by her ministry.

We celebrated the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla within our informal Holy Communion se3rvice on 7[th] May. Later in the year we hosted two Village Memorial Services. The summer service took place in July and was sponsored by F. Harrison and Son, Funeral Directors. The Christmas Service of Remembrance was sponsored for the third year running by Lodge Brothers of Englefield Green. The church was full on both occasions and similarly full in November for the Armistice Day Parade Service. Our speaker this year was Mr John Scott MBE. As always, our Christmas Crib service, led by Mrs Claudia Tubb, saw St Jude’s full to overflowing!

Early in the year Guildford Diocese launched a new “Parish Needs Process”. Most members of our ECC attended a strategy meeting on Saturday 4[th] February. This was led by the Diocesan Mission Enabler Team and included a presentation on three priorities for mission at the heart of the Diocesan Programme for growth: Transforming Church, Transforming Lives. The three are: Growing Disciples, Growing Community, Growing Diversity. Through the

year we were asked to put together a Chrch Development Plan which reflected these priorities. We were assisted by the Revd Jens Mankel, one of the Mission Enablers for revitalisation. Our CDP was signed off by the Archdeacon of Dorking, the Ven Martin Breadmore, when he made his five-yearly visit to meet with the Vicar and Wardens in September. Achieving the aims of the plan remains a significant challenge and one we need urgently to address. We remain grateful to our team of worship leaders, including our Methodist Associate Minister, the Revd Andrew Reed, our Licensed Lay Minister, Mr Roy Gouriet and our occasional preacher, Mrs Diana Bendall, for their continued contribution to our worship. On the first Sunday of each month, we enjoyed the ministry at our 8am service of the Revd Dr Orion Edgar, Anglican Chaplain to Royal Holloway, University of London. In December Orion moved on to take up an appointment in the parish of Christchurch, Roath Park, Cardiff. During the year we continued to welcome the occasional ministry of the Revd Janet Franck.

We remain indebted to our regular teams of Readers and Intercessors. During the year Mrs Cassandra Gouriet stepped down from co-ordinating this rota after many years. We are grateful to Cassandra and to Diana who has now taken on this vital task. Special thanks are due to our organist, Geoff Chew, and to our choir for leading our music in worship. Also, to our wonderful church cleaning team, flower arrangers, members of our live-streaming rota plus all who provide refreshments to follow our worship. Your hidden acts of service do not of unnoticed. Thank you all.

Occasional services

During the year there were 12 baptisms (18 in 2022), 3 weddings (1), 22 funerals in church (20), 7 Funerals conducted by our Vicar in local crematoria (14), 2 Graveside Funerals conducted by our Vicar (1) and 3 Interment of Cremated Remains (3).

Church Council meetings in 2023

The Church Council met on Wednesday 18[th] January, Thursday 9[th] March, Monday 17[th] April, Tuesday 6[th] June, Tuesday 25[th] July, Thursday 14[th] September, and Tuesday 7[th] November. The APCM was held on Sunday 14[h] May. We are grateful to our Churchwardens, Church Officers, Council members and Committee Chairs for another year of generous service.

Electoral Roll

Our Electoral Roll stands at 86, an increase of 1 on 2022.

Safeguarding

No safeguarding issues were confirmed. One concern was reported to the Diocesan Safeguarding Lead but was deemed after discussion not to have been a safeguarding incident. We remain grateful to Mrs Diana Bendall for continuing to serve as our Parish Safeguarding Lead and for enabling us to reach Level 2 on the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard As a United Church we remain committed to ensuring that Safeguarding remains a priority within the life of St Jude’s and our Village Centre.

Concert Series

2023 saw a programme of 9 concerts and we are grateful to Professor Geoff Chew for arranging an attractive programme for us once again.

The concerts took place as follows: 4[th] February Community Concert, 18[th] March Royal Holloway students, 29[th] April Royal Holloway students, 13[th] May James Kirby’s students from Royal Holloway, 3[rd] June River City Saxes, 8[th] July James Webb (piano), 2[nd] September Music and Words (Valerie Fry, reciter/Dimitri Kennaway, piano), 28[nd] October James Kirby (piano), 25[th] November Geoff Chew (piano).

Social Events

Coffee Mornings were held on 4[th] March (proceeds to DEC earthquake appeal), 29[th] April, and 26[th] August. Coronation Tea Party at the Vicarage, Saturday 6[th] May. Indoor Summer Fair/Coffee Morning 15[th] July, St Jude’s Stall at Village Fair 24[th] June, Harvest Lunch 7[th] October in church, Christmas Market 11[th] November and Mince Pie and Lebkuchen Tea 9[th] December. Our grateful thanks to all who co-ordinated and contributed to these events.

Fabric

Following much discussion during the previous year, 2023 was a year of considerable achievement. Extensive repair work was carried out to the south and east of the tower stonework, a new noticeboard was fitted, the audio-visual equipment installation was completed, the toilet block was refurbished, the south nave windows were re-covered in

new polycarbonate sheets, and the clock face was removed for complete renovation. We are very grateful to the churchwardens for all their work on these projects.

Monsell Room Lettings

Our thanks to Andrew Sheer for continuing to co-ordinate and administer all bookings. The users of the Monsell Room were Alcoholics Anonymous, Angeli’s Art Classes, Englefield Green Councillors’ Surgery, Englefield Green Village Residents Association, National Childbirth Trust, Royal Holloway Music Department, Royal Holloway Women’s Club, and Sue Lowe’s cello classes. In addition there were a few “one-off” hirings.

Mission and Outreach

Village Centre: Please see separate report.

Donations to the Runnymede Food Bank

Total cash donations: £686. This, plus donations in kind, enabled a total donation by weight of 819kg (in both cases an appreciable increase over 2022). Thank you to Geoff Chew for continuing to manage and pass on our donations.

Donations to other appeals

We were pleased to be able to send donations to the Syria/Turkey earthquake appeal, Water Aid, the Royal British Legion and The Children’s Society.

Giving in kind

We continued to contribute to Revive and Thrive, a Charity based at a Baptist Church in Mytchett who send knitted items and reconditioned tools to countries across the world, including Africa and Eastern Europe. A fair proportion of what we were able to give in 2023 once again came via our links with Lynwood Village in Sunningdale. We remain grateful to Di and Alan Fone and to Pat and Brian Summers for overseeing this.

The Ship Newsletter

Brian Hooker continued to circulate the monthly Ship electronically, via Mailchimp, approximately 200 in total. A few printed copies were made available in church for those unable to read the newsletter online. The Ship was also accessible on our website and Facebook page.

Digital Outreach

We continued to use Facebook, our website, and Zoom as a means of reaching our community and providing additional opportunities for worship. Please refer to the Worship part of our report for details of our Zoom service of Compline.

Our Church Schools

At the beginning of 2023 the St Jude’s CofE Infant School and the Junior School went through the process of Federation. The two Governing bodies became one and the process of embedding the schools’ vision (“Inspired by St Jude, we pursue Excellence in Education, Kindness in Community and Courage through Faith”) and the schools’ values (Forgiveness, Responsibility, Compassion and Hope) across the two schools has continued. Our Vicar and the Revd Jeremy Brown (Family and Children’s Minister at Christchurch, Virginia Water) continued to lead regular assemblies on each school site. In July, for the first time, Year 2 from the Infant School held their Leavers’ Service in St Jude’s. The School Harvest and Christmas Services in church were, for the first time, attended by both schools.

From the Vicar

Once again, we owe everything to the grace of God at work among us. It is exciting to see tiny green shoots of growth in our numbers. I am especially thrilled that we have been able to maintain our online worship and to welcome those who would otherwise be prevented by illness or frailty from worshipping with us. I humbly pray with you for fresh encouragements in 2024.

Village Centre Annual Report for 2023

January 2023 saw the New Year reopening of the Village Centre with our regular activities and Outreach Programmes all set to get under way for another year. The Café closed for a day in January whilst outside security lights were repaired and light bulbs within the café were replaced with LEDs.

There was special news for the Centre during February when our Centre Manager, Ali Watts, married her fiancé, James, and became Mrs Ali Griffin. Belatedly, we would like to record our joy and congratulations to them both!

During the Easter Holidays the Centre was opened from 10am to 2pm. Special Easter activities were on offer. On Monday 3[rd] April we held an Easter Arts and Crafts session with free admission, which proved highly popular. We also ran a Children’s Cooking Class for children aged 7-11 years. The class was fully booked, and the children enjoyed cooking, eating, and learning about Jamaican dishes including a delicious coconut cake! Both Adult and Children’s Cooking classes continued throughout the year and remained very popular. We were very grateful to Huda, Project Manager of our Community Fridge, for continuing to lead these classes.

Following the accession to the throne of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, we were able to hold our won Coronation celebration on 12[th] May. We received funding from the local authority which enabled us to make this event free to everyone who attended. We ran two bounce and play sessions, at 3.30pm and 4.30pm and these were followed by a dinner of hotdogs and cake! The Hall hosted a bouncy castle and giant games such as Connect 4, Jenga and Lego. Approximately 20 children attended each event.

During May we said “Thank you and Farewell” to our IT wizard, Paul Doherty. Paul had supported the work of the Village Centre for several years as a volunteer by running a regular computer “Drop In” session each Wednesday. Many users of the Village Centre had benefited from Paul’s wisdom and expertise in guiding them through some of the complexities of the world of technology, troubleshooting a variety of personal devices and even setting up new items of equipment. Paul was moving away from Englefield Green and we wished him well – but his departure was a loss to us.

Early in the summer Andrew Reed reported a personal contact with a beneficiary of one of our outreach programmes. Baby Basics seeks to provide help for families who, for all sorts of reasons find it difficult to make provision when a baby is born. A mum needed help and was so grateful for the equipment she received that she spread the news to family and friends. During the year pupils from St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Englefield Green presented us with the collection they had made pf 6 boxes filled with newborn essentials.

Each of our Outreach programmes continued to thrive during the year. We especially promoted our “Buy it Forward” initiative. Our Café customers were invited to give an extra donation on top of their meal or drink and he additional money was used to help buy a meal or drink for someone who otherwise would otherwise be unable to pay. We were able to begin offering meal vouchers to those who attended our Runnymede Food Bank sessions and “Buy it Forward” has helped to support the cost of providing those meals. Our Child Contact Centre continued to provide support for estranged parents and their children. Our Community Fridge and Kitchen weathered challenges with the availability of food items for collection, and unwieldy queues at opening times! But despite those issues it continued to thrive and to give residents access to food that otherwise be wasted.

Throughout the year we continued to be grateful for the generosity of donors to the Centre, both regular gifts and one-off donations. In July Harrison’s funeral directors held a Village Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving. Donations from the service, which amounted to £325.00, were generously earmarked for the work of the Centre.

The Summer Holidays got off to a busy start especially as unsettled weather made the Café a warm inside venue for children. Most of our regular classes took a well-earned summer break. But we introduced a 3-week Children’s Summer Camp run by a qualified teacher which proved popular. The Mental Health Sports Charity, Sport in Mind, provided a free weekly Pilates class for those struggling with mental health issues.

During the summer our long-standing Duke of Edinburgh student finished her placement, and two new Silver students joined us. It was our volunteers and their diversity of age, social background, and skills who once again in 2003 supported many areas of the work of the Centre, and supported our Manager and staff team, cheerfully and tirelessly. Mark, our “odd job man”, has completed many jobs for us. Louise has provided regular administrative support for our Centre Manager.

During the summer the Centre’s new Fire Alarm system was installed. The system brought the Centre in line with current fire safety regulations. Centre Staff can be made instantly aware of the location of a fire. Smoke detectors were remotely fitted to navigate our listed building status. The system was linked to mobile phones, so control can be managed remotely if needed.

In the autumn we welcomed GLOWFIT classes on Monday evenings. GLOWFIT is a dance class with participants holding on to their glow sticks and dancing to well-known tunes. The aim is to have fun! Our Film Club was in full swing on occasional Friday evenings.

In November students from Royal Holloway once again organised a Tea Party for our older Village residents. This was greatly appreciated as always and, not least, because transport is provided for those who are unable to make their own way to the Centre. The St Jude’s Christmas Market also took place in November. Attendance at this traditional event was boosted by those who came to see the Children’s Fair happening in the Hall. Early in December, as in previous years, Ali, our Manager, visited Enterprise in Egham to collect the children’s Christmas parcels which were prepared for us by the staff there. Ali went on to visit the Foodbank in Egham where she collected some generously donated food parcels. We were grateful to both Enterprise and the Foodbank for this very welcome Christmas cheer.

The work of the Village Centre continued throughout the year to be overseen by our Village Centre Management Committee (VCMC) jointly chaired by our Methodist Minister, the Revd Andrew Reed and our Vicar, the Revd Canon Judith Allford. During 2023 several members of the Committee stepped down. Two members, Jayne Pooley and Sharon Edgar, moved away from the area, and Roy Gouriet retired from the Committee, having served on it since the inception of the Centre.

Others stayed on, including Andrew Sheer who continued to serve as Treasurer, cashing up at the end of each day, banking week by week, managing our accounts and maintaining our relationship with the Charity Commissioners. Thanks to Andrew and to Roger and Jonathan Griffiths for their support with payroll and fabric issues. Our thanks to Siobhan Elliot for taking the lead in updating our social media.

Thanks to Diana Bendall for acting as Minutes Secretary and for continuing to act as Safeguarding Lead alongside Andrew Reed and Ali. No safeguarding issues were reported but safeguarding remained a standing issue on our VCMC Agenda, and our policy was reviewed and updated.

We owe a heartfelt thank you to Ali and the Staff Team – Sarmila, Debbie, Lily and Huda, for all their work in 2023. Special thanks to Ali for her tireless networking, fundraising, grant applications, and the consistently warm welcome she has provided to all users of the Centre. All our staff keep alive our vision to demonstrate God’s love for Englefield Green in as many practical ways as we can.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 GENERAL FUND Receipts and Payments Account

2023 2022
£ £ £ £
INCOME
Incoming resources from donors
Free will envelopes 5057 4997
Banker’s Orders 31365 29445
Give As You Earn 330 360
Cash in collections 4419 4119
SumUp receipts 3161 2487
Income tax recovered 13325 57657 10001 51409
Other income
Charitable Trusts 30 30
Fees from weddings, etc 5168 3532
Concerts 2080 1831
Church House rent 15450 15450
68 Victoria Street rent 6538 11040
Christmas Market 720 634
Coffee mornings, etc 665 358
Village Fair 402 376
Harvest lunch/cream tea 310 481
Hire of Monsell Room 5610 5277
Diocesan Energy support 1000 1000
Refund from Diocese (cremations) 403 558
Easyfundraising.co.uk 102 38478 109 40676
Income from investments
Bank interest 282 282 78 78
Total Receipts 96417 92163

PAYMENTS

2023 2022
£ £ £ £
For the Ministry
Vicar’s/Vicarage expenses
0 0
Assistant Clergy
0 0 0
Church and Services
Light, heat, water and telephone 4524 3816
Telephone and broadband
528 225
Repairs and replacements
3964 923
Musical instruments
260 857
Organist
0 0
Altar supplies and Baptism register 625 210
Newsletter cards
0 299
Service books and leaflets
780 780
Catering/hospitality
0 10681 0 7110
Other Parish Expenses
Insurance
3416 3362
Insurance 68 Victoria Street
298 282
Management fee Church House 2317 2317
Management fee 68 Victoria Street 0 1987
Repairs 68 Victoria Street
0 1328
Repairs Church House
1944 2865
Subscriptions
377 395
Covid purchases
0 16
Cleaning materials etc
191 0
Tablet/SumUp device
0 71
Performing rights licences
0 8543 36 12659
Outside the Parish
Parish Share (Diocesan Quota) 68618 66169
Methodist Circuit
7500 7500
DBS checks
0 0
Bank charges
60 76178 82 73751
TOTAL PAYMENTS 95402 93520

2023 2022

Excess payments over receipts 0 1357
Excess income over payments 1015 0
Bank current and deposit accounts at 1stJan 3548 4905
Bank current and deposit accounts at 31stDec 4563 3548
Charitable donations not included in these accounts Charitable donations not included in these accounts
Children’s Society £300
Turkey/Syria Earthquake £1000
Royal British Legion £175
WaterAid £310

Bankers

National Westminster Bank, 67 High Street, Staines, Surrey TW18 4PU

Santander, Bootle, Merseyside

CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ

Brian Hooker, Hon. Treasurer

BUILDING FUND Accounts for 2023

2023 2022
Receipts £ £
Legacy 2000 10021
Donations for organ 175 150
Audio/Visual equipment 2313 0
Clock Face appeal 7943 0
One off donations 6000 0
Total 18431 10171
Expenditure
AV equipment 2290 5344
Boilers replacement 0 20940
Stonework 10616 0
Noticeboard 2652 0
Deposit for clock face repair 2063 0
Lift tower for clock face 504 0
Total 18125 26284
Excess expenditure over income 0 16113
Excess income over expenditure 306 0
Bank current account as at 14862 30975
1stJanuary
Bank current account as at 15168 14862
31stDecember

CHURCH HALL ACCOUNT 2023

2023 2022
Receipts
£ £
Hall Lettings
6328 6672
Interest
43 4
6371 6676
Expenditure
Light, heat and water
3067 2421
Insurance
1708 1681
Cleaning
0 600
Telephone
371 564
Fire extinguishers
165 306
Repairs
600 5088
5911 10660
Excess expenditure over income 0 3984
Excess income over expenditure 460 0
Bank current account as at 21978 25962
1stJanuary
Bank current account as at 22438 21978
31stDecember

Bankers

Barclays Bank

Staines Group, 71 High Street, Staines, Middlesex TW18 4PS

Brian Hooker

Hon Treasurer

VILLAGE CENTRE ACCOUNT (1st Sept 2022-31st Aug 2023)

Receipts
2022/23 2021/22
£ £
Grants
10100 54649
Donations
15801 9328
Gift Aid
710 668
Payment for lane access
1350 0
Baby Basics
3942 0
Community Fridge
8042 840
Bookings
28248 24980
Café takings
45119 25596
Insurance claim 0 1726
Events 100 145
Interest 449 124
Other 15 0
Total 113876 118056
Expenditure
Building 5613 61670
AV and computer costs 675 639
Other equipment 1488 2132
Advertising 897 200
Insurance 1922 1801
Wages and salaries 58524 66940
Regular items 776 938
Heat, light, water, telephone 9210 8207
Food for café 12688 6363
Films and licences 469 157
Hospitality 451 0
Events 612 0
Baby Basics 740 311
Community Fridge 7762 6001
Bank charges 561 433
Other 38 205
Total 102426 155997
Excess income over expenditure 11450 0
Excess expenditure over income 0 37940
Bank current account as at 1stSeptember 2022 3390
Bank current account as at 31stAugust 2023 14750

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Church Council of St Jude’s United Church, Englefield Green

I report on the accounts of the JCC of St Jude’s United Church Englefield Green for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

The Council is responsible for the preparation of the accounts and considers that an audit is not required under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the 1993 Act);

follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act;

and state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of the Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Council concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

have not been met; or

Brian Summers

15 Englehurst

Englefield Green

Egham, Surrey

TW20 0EE

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

at 1[st] January 2023

General
Building
Church Totals
Fund Fund Hall
£
£
£
£
Monetary assets
NatWest and CAF 3547 14821 18368
Barclays 21978 21978
Alliance & Leicester 41
41
Total 3547 14862 21978 40387
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
at 31stDecember 2023
General
Building
Church Totals
Fund Fund Hall
£
£
£
£
Monetary assets
NatWest and CAF 4563 15126 19689
Barclays 22438 22438
Alliance & Leicester 41
41
Total 4563 15167 22438 42168